SURVEYING THE SECTOR
We ’ ve also allowed a practice to develop where , because it ’ s based on inadequate data , companies can publish estimated numbers that , at best , might be considered good marketing and at worst , are misleading .
this , streamlining processes there , utilising human resources better and connecting job sites for more effective fleet management .
Yet when it comes to emissions reporting , we ’ ve also allowed a practice to develop where , because it ’ s based on inadequate data , companies can publish estimated numbers that , at best , might be considered good marketing and at worst , are misleading . This process undermines the collective effort , harms the industry and can only be put right by implementing live tracking for emissions data .
Last year ’ s COP27 climate talks included a dispiriting UN report on construction that showed the industry had rebounded from the COVID-19 pandemic to post record highs in energy consumption and CO 2 emissions at 34 % and 37 % respectively . And those figures – approximately 2 % above 2019 levels – came despite significant energy efficiency investments and concerted efforts to lower energy intensity . for passenger cars and light-duty trucks and has set targets for reducing emissions from heavyduty vehicles . The current US administration also announced plans to reduce the country ’ s greenhouse gas emissions ( GHG ) by 50 – 52 % by 2030 compared to 2005 levels .
Actual energy usage
At the federal level , things are happening too . California has set a target of reducing GHG by 40 % below 1990 levels by 2030 , with a goal of achieving carbon neutrality by 2045 . Further , it has in the last month tightened legislation on electric equipment that requires fleets to report on the actual energy usage of machines , rather than estimating usage . Other states , such as New York , Massachusetts and Illinois , have also introduced their own emissions reduction targets .
The European Union has also been highly active in implementing regulatory requirements . The European Commission ’ s European Green Deal aims to make the EU climate-neutral by 2050 , with a 55 % reduction in GHG emissions by 2030 . As part of this initiative , the EU has introduced the Construction Products Regulation , which requires the construction industry to assess the environmental performance of its products , including their CO 2 emissions .
Elsewhere , international organisations like the World Green Building Council are working to promote sustainable construction practices globally . The WGBC ’ s Advancing Net Zero initiative aims for all buildings to halve ‘ emissions of the building and construction sector by 2030 and the total decarbonisation of the sector by 2050 ,’ and it provides resources and guidance for companies looking to reduce their carbon footprint .
First , we must acknowledge that the practice of reporting numbers in favourable terms has developed because emissions tracking and reporting standards in our industry are immature and are , in comparison with gathering on-road data , difficult to do . However , progress is being made on the legislative side and , while there are currently no rigorous standards for calculating emissions , these legislative steps are critical to the shift in behaviour .
The US has , for example , been making significant strides in implementing regulations to reduce CO 2 emissions from the transportation sector . The country has implemented fuel economy standards
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